Browse Heating Subtopics

Radiant

Q. Passive Solar Flooring Instead of tile, my clients want to install a wood-finish floor over the insulated concrete slab of a planned passive solar addition. They've also asked us to install tubing in the slab to give them the option of radiantly heating the space. But won't wood flooring have a...

Q. I have a leak in my recently installed radiant tubing, no doubt caused by freezing last winter before the system was fully operational. The tubing is a 300-foot run buried in a 4-inch concrete slab. Is there some kind of "stop leak" that can be circula

Q. I'm finishing a basement room for customers who want to put carpet over the radiant slab. I'm concerned the carpet will insulate off some of the heat, but I can't talk them out of it. The slab is 4 to 5 inches thick, and the 1/2-inch PEX tubing is laid out on 12-inch centers, with 11/2 inches of...

Electric-resistance tile-warming systems can increase comfort in the kitchen and bath without greatly increasing the client's electric bill. A tilesetter shares his method for a foolproof installation.

Q. I am renovating a barn where the existing concrete floor slopes approximately 6 inches in 30 feet. The architect wants me to build a level floor using wood sleepers with foam insulation in between, then pour a minimum 11/2-inch-thick radiant slab betwe